


The Perks of Promotion: Choose Your Own KakaIru

by anniemaar, CappuccettoRosso, flailinginlove, Gloomier, Hexadecimalrebooted, ladyxdaydream, myka1231, water_bby



Category: Naruto
Genre: Celebrations, Choose Your Own Adventure, Comfort, Established Relationship, Fuuinjutsu Master Umino Iruka, Getting Together, M/M, Mission Fic, it depends on what you choose, one bad ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-14
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:13:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 18,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28064496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anniemaar/pseuds/anniemaar, https://archiveofourown.org/users/CappuccettoRosso/pseuds/CappuccettoRosso, https://archiveofourown.org/users/flailinginlove/pseuds/flailinginlove, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gloomier/pseuds/Gloomier, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hexadecimalrebooted/pseuds/Hexadecimalrebooted, https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladyxdaydream/pseuds/ladyxdaydream, https://archiveofourown.org/users/myka1231/pseuds/myka1231, https://archiveofourown.org/users/water_bby/pseuds/water_bby
Summary: Iruka takes the test to become a tokubetsu jounin. Does he pass? Does he fail? What happens next is up to you!A choose your own KakaIru fic!
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Umino Iruka
Comments: 54
Kudos: 149
Collections: The KakaIru Gift Box





	1. 0 - The Test

**Author's Note:**

  * For [The KakaIru Fandom](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=The+KakaIru+Fandom).



>   
>  **This is a choose your own adventure fic. At the end of each chapter, you will be given options to choose what happens next. Click on the links provided. DO NOT click on the "next chapter" button. The fic will not make sense if you do.**   
> 
> 
> For a full list of all the choices and for notes from the various authors, please check out the [final chapter](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28064496/chapters/68801154#workskin) of this fic.
> 
>   
> Banner by anniemaar.

Iruka surveyed the tools spread out before him. More scrolls, blank tags, ink, and brushes than he could ever use were piled on the table, but not much else.

Even with the nerves running through him, he had to fight back a grin. Whatever came next, he had this.

A whistle sounded and he grabbed the nearest brush without hesitation, dipping it in an inkwell before drawing an intricate pattern on the first scroll he could get his hands on. His brow furrowed in concentration as the complicated lines of _concealment_ spread out stark and black against the white of the scroll.

When he'd decided to take the test to become a tokubetsu jounin, he'd given the mechanics of the test more thought than was probably healthy. If he were proctoring this test, what would he do?

Drawing the final strokes, he gathered chakra in his hands and slapped them against the parchment, not caring that the ink was still wet. It wouldn't mess up this jutsu.

An opaque black dome surrounded him, making it all but impossible for anyone outside to see in. Now he just had to hope none of the proctors were Hyuugas.

What would he do if he were proctoring this test? He wouldn't say he'd _cheat_ , but he'd always stay a step ahead of the examinee. The dome would make that a little harder. 

They'd said the test would start with thirty minutes of prep time, not that he had thirty minutes of prep time before the test started. It was a subtle difference, but he wasn't going to risk his promotion on the assumption that this part of the test wasn't being graded. 

He hadn't seen anyone watching, but he'd felt eyes on him from the moment he'd stepped into the arena. And he didn't need any prying eyes for this next part.

Grabbing another scroll, he moved on to the first of the two main tasks he had to complete. 

The test's format was simple enough and designed specifically for him. He wanted to earn his specialty in seals, which meant he needed to show off what he could do with them, both offensively and defensively in battle. But more importantly, he needed to prove he knew what he was doing when it came to using fuuinjutsu for securing information and also for breaking into other people's seals to get concealed intel. Because if he passed this test, that was what they'd be using him for.

He rolled out the scroll in front of him and got to work. He needed to hide a book inside a seal that the Intel team testing him wouldn't be able to break. He didn't have as much time as he'd like, but he had enough. It'd been obvious they'd test him on this, and he'd prepared accordingly. He'd practiced this seal so many times, he could do it with his eyes closed. 

The seal was the most complicated one he knew, layer after layer of protection twined together in a disconcerting pattern of kanji and symbols. The complexity of it was unsettling to look at on its own, but a hidden genjutsu in the pattern caused the characters to swim, making it difficult to focus on for long enough to solve. Iruka wasn't confident that the Intel team wouldn't be able to crack his seal, but he was going to make damn sure they got a little seasick for their troubles.

Those protections in place, he set the book they'd given him on the center of the design, sealed it inside, then rolled the scroll up.

The outside of the scroll received its own protections as well, with the 24 strokes of _connection_ hidden into the spiraling patterns that wound around it. He rolled up his left sleeve and drew the same characters onto his forearm, feeling the cool ink dry before charging both sets of characters with chakra. It wouldn't prevent the team from breaking his seal, but it'd notify him when they did.

Twirling the scroll around his fingers, he grinned. This next bit was going to be fun. It would indulge a part of himself he rarely let out to play anymore, the part that had put a multiplication seal under his homeroom teacher's desk right before their final tests one year. Their teacher had been less than pleased when his pile of forty tests had turned into four hundred the moment he'd set them down. 

Iruka wasn't planning to go quite as far this time, but that didn't mean he couldn't make things a little more interesting.

He sealed the scroll into another that was protected by his second-best seal, one that would make two copies of the scroll when unsealed. That went into another scroll with two decoys with fake seals. One final scroll contained it all, along with a genjutsu that would make it look like half a dozen scrolls appeared when it was unsealed. There was an easy trick to cancel that genjutsu, but it might confuse the Intel team, giving him a few extra minutes. 

Each scroll received the same final kanji as the first, and the skin under his sleeve now had _connection_ written four times across it, there to give him an idea of how far along his opponents were. 

He wasn't under any illusion that even his best seal was uncrackable, but he needed to give himself time for the second part of the test, and no one said that his unbreakable scroll couldn't be a nesting doll of multiple seals. 

He had ten minutes left. Just enough time to make the other seals he thought he might use in whatever battle scenario he was about to face. Counting down the time in his head, he made barrier seals, binding seals, fuuinjutsu traps, exploding tags, sealed genjutsu, and more.

This part didn't require as much concentration, and for all his preparation, it was now that his nerves started to emerge in full force.

He didn't need this promotion; he'd still be working at the Academy even if he did pass. But the challenge excited him, made him want to prove that he _could_ do it. More for himself than anyone else. Besides, he'd get the chance to consult on seals the Intel department got in, which he couldn't do as a chuunin, and the thought of all those puzzles waiting to be solved made his fingers itch.

The pile of seals and scrolls next to him grew steadily.

Two minutes left. 

Most of the scrolls were dry enough to roll up and tuck into his vest and pouches while he left the final one he'd made still laying open on the table. It was more delicate than the concealing dome seal and needed to be dry to work, but it should be ready before the test started. 

This was all he was going to have time to make, but he created a clone to make a few more as he placed his sealed intel scroll into its designated box. He prayed to anyone listening that his seals held long enough for him to do what he needed to do, then stepped away from the workbench and activated the Light Refraction tag he'd created, feeling a wave of chakra wash over him, concealing his presence. It would only be effective while he stood still, but that was all he needed it for.

One minute left.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and _listened_.

The arena they'd chosen for this test wasn't particularly large. No mission would ever be limited to such a small area, but it'd serve its purpose.

There was a small hideout at one end of the arena and a makeshift building that would serve as his base on the other. Wide swathes of trees and open area separated the two. The briefing he'd received before the test had said a scroll was hidden somewhere in that hideout. He needed to find it, bring it back to his base, and crack it. If the Intel team broke his seal, the test was over. If he got his intel home and broke the seal, the test was over. Whoever completed their mission first won.

Simple enough. 

Until they added in the team of ANBU that he would be up against. 

He couldn't pinpoint their location, but he knew they were out there, waiting for him.

Ten seconds left.

He took another deep breath. Fighting had never been his strong suit, but if he could avoid the worst of it, he could do this.

Another whistle sounded.

That was all the warning he got before the dark bubble around him shattered. It hadn't been defensive, just obscuring, never meant to hold up under even the slightest attack.

He had one brief moment to appreciate his clone's feigned expression of utter shock, the desperate way it reached for some weapon, _any weapon_ , before it triggered the scroll he'd left on the table.

With a pop, the clone and the ANBU that had been charging towards it disappeared into the scroll.

Iruka didn't let himself celebrate that victory. It was too easy. He'd gotten lucky the first ANBU had underestimated him, had thought he wouldn't be prepared for an attack the moment the test started. Like attacking without warning wasn't the exact sort of thing Iruka would do to test his own students.

One ANBU down, the rest of their team to go. The others were watching. They wouldn't be so easily tricked. He could only play weak once.

Iruka started towards the hideout, but his steps faltered at the quick burning sensation on his arm as the ink of one of his warnings dissolved. He bit back a curse. The Intel team was already through his first seal. He'd thought he'd have a little more time.

Shaking his head, he pushed himself forward again. All he could do now was find the scroll. He moved towards the hideout, waiting for the next ANBU attack.

He'd thought about how he would conduct this part of the test too. It didn't seem likely they'd send all the ANBU after him at once, or at least not at their full strength. Crushing him immediately would tell them nothing about his skills. Which meant either the ANBU were instructed to go easy on him at first and make it harder the closer he got to completing his mission, or they would be introducing more ANBU the longer he survived. In the case of the first, it was important for him to get as much done as he could before things got hard. If it was the latter option, he needed to take out the first few ANBU that came after him. He _really_ didn't want to face off against an entire squad of ANBU if he could help it.

Either way, he needed to get to the scroll as quickly as possible, with the knowledge that the level of difficulty might be increasing with each step he took towards it.

The wards on the hideout were easy to crack, and it wasn't hard to find the scroll once he was inside. The briefing he'd been given had been largely accurate, though the placement of the scroll had been a little off. But it wasn't that simple. The intel had failed to mention that the scroll was sealed inside an ornate chest. He hadn't been the only one to think making his opponent break more than one seal was a good idea. He was going to need to break this before he could take the scroll anywhere else.

Iruka took another moment to _listen_ to the arena again. Still no signs of the other ANBU.

The burn of another warning announced the Intel team had broken into his second scroll. This time Iruka did curse.

Quickly assessing the seal used to protect the scroll, he got to work. 

On the surface, it looked simple. If the scroll was moved without disarming the seal, the entire box would explode, likely designed to take out the ninja that had meddled with it as well as destroying the intel. But near the part that could be used to disarm the explosive, there was an odd bit of kanji he'd never seen on this type of seal, and it took him a moment to figure out its purpose. Then it hit him.

He could disarm the explosive, but it would trigger the second part of the seal. Transport.

It was the same as the one that had been used on the Chuunin Exam scrolls to transport him to Team 7 after they'd made it through the Forest of Death.

So, his options were: a giant explosion or the sudden appearance of one or more ANBU in the room with him. _Lovely_.

Grabbing his last two sealing scrolls, he rolled them out onto the floor next to him within easy reach, took a deep breath, and disarmed the explosive seal on the intel scroll. He didn't wait for the telltale ozone pop of the ANBU being transported into the room. Instead, he twisted back towards his scrolls, started their short timers, then threw them at the newly appeared ANBU.

Of course, it wasn't that easy.

Unlike the first ANBU, these two were prepared, both hitting the scrolls midair with fireballs before they could activate and seal the ANBU inside.

Iruka grabbed the intel scroll and ran. He knew his limits. He wasn't going to defeat two ANBU in close quarters.

Tucking the intel scroll into his vest, he sped towards his home base. It wasn't that far, if he could just make it there...

But no, that wasn't going to happen. Not without a fight. He could feel the ANBU closing in. 

He had every disadvantage. Two against one. They knew this arena; he'd only had time to do a quick scan. They probably took more missions that involved combat situations each year than he'd taken in his entire life.

He moved through the trees, the ANBU silent shadows hot on his heels. He needed a plan, something that would trick them and give him a chance to get away, but he didn't have time to think it through.

He grabbed another scroll from his vest pocket, unrolling it as he ran then activating the genjutsu it contained. If he took vision out of the equation, he could still navigate through sound. There was a chance it'd help level the playing field.

The distorted reality barely had time to settle around them, pulling a blanket of pitch-black night over the arena, before it was dispelled by one of the ANBU. Okay, no genjutsu then. On to the next seal.

He had to stop for this one, a risky bet, but if it worked, it'd give him enough time to get to the other side of the arena. He just needed it to delay the ANBU for a few seconds.

Iruka slid to a halt, unrolling the scroll as he did and slamming a chakra-infused hand against the paper before he started running again.

Behind him, the earth shook and roared, a line of defensive walls rising high into the air, casting long shadows that stretched out in front of him.

And just as quickly, those shadows crumbled as the ANBU broke through.

Iruka cursed as he ran, mind spinning through his remaining options. He could try binding the ANBU with a seal, freezing them in place. He'd made one in case it would come in handy, but using it would require concentration to hold them, which would make it difficult to work on the scroll at the same time. It'd slow him down too much; the intel team would break his scroll first. He also didn't have much practice holding two targets at once. And even if he could hold them and break into the scroll, what would he do after that? He was out of sealing scrolls, so he couldn't lock the ANBU away. He could use some of his exploding tags, but if the ANBU were frozen, they wouldn't be able to defend themselves. It wasn't a safe option.

Which left him with one realization.

He wasn't going to make it to his base. 

He needed to stop and fight. But more than that, he needed to achieve at least one of the objectives of this mission. He wasn't able to get home, but he might be able to crack the seal on the intel scroll. He didn't know if he could get partial credit on a test like this, but it was worth a try.

Skidding to a halt again, he unrolled a third scroll, activating it as the ANBU closed in. A barrier sprung up around him, the dome protecting him from the rain of kunai the ANBU sent his way, the weapons bouncing off the transparent surface with clicks and thuds.

He shook his head. He wouldn't be completing his mission, but this was better than nothing. 

He took out the intel scroll and studied it while the ANBU hit his barrier with fireball after fireball. Even with the protection of his strongest barrier seal, he felt the heat of their attacks.

The scroll was simple enough. It wasn't sealed from the outside, so he crouched down and unrolled it on the ground in front of him, his eyebrows climbing as he saw the complicated design drawn inside. He let out a low whistle. No wonder it wasn't sealed on the outside. With a seal like this, there wasn't much need.

He'd barely had a chance to take it all in when the remaining two warning seals on his forearm burned away in quick succession. 

He froze, breath held, assuming the test was over. 

A moment passed, and then another. No whistle was blown and the ANBU continued their attacks on his barrier. 

He let out a breath.

The Intel team must have found his warning system and disabled it. He still had time. He turned his attention back to the seal. 

There were five unique layers to it, that part was clear enough, and each layer had five defensive nodes that connected them all together. They spiraled inward, leading to the release in the center. With as connected as the layers were, he'd need to work quickly. Breaking into one would cause the others to become unstable, more likely to set off any self-destruct safeguards built into the seal.

The earth shook as one of the ANBU attempted to break into his barrier from underneath, but Iruka stayed focused.

This wasn't the type of seal that was meant for one person to open. Each of the five layers had an elemental nature woven into it. The outermost layer was built with fire chakra, and each subsequent layer followed the chakra cycle, ending with a layer built with water. The key to breaking each layer would be using the type of nature transformation that layer was weak against. Water for fire, fire for air, and so on.

He'd need to thread a bit of the right kind of chakra through the main defenses of each layer and deactivate them. If he had a team, each person could take on the layer their own affinity would naturally give them an advantage over. But he didn't have a team, so he made two clones instead.

The first two layers wouldn't be a problem. Water and fire were the elemental transformations he could use without difficulty. Air and lightning on the other hand... 

The ANBU continued to chip away at his barrier. Spidery cracks spread across the surface, showing the strain it was under. He needed to do this now.

He took a deep breath and nodded to his clones, signaling them to gather chakra. Then he started.

He ran water chakra through the fire layer of the seal, connecting the five nodes together, then pushing outward, shattering the defense. He didn't wait to see what would happen, just gathered fire and moved on to the next layer.

The hardest part was waiting for his clones to take care of the lightning and earth layers. The amount of air and lightning he could transform was nominal at best, so there was no finesse to the way they molded it. He could only pray they managed not to destroy the whole thing while he molded earth chakra for the final layer.

He breathed a sigh of relief when he broke through the water defense, but it was short-lived. 

The scroll started to hiss like an exploding tag getting ready to blow.

He'd missed something. 

The dome around him shuddered and groaned, threatening to give away to the barrage of attacks the ANBU were hitting it with. Iruka spared it a quick glance before looking back down at the scroll.

He sucked in a sharp inhale as his eyes fell on the central release. It wasn't using just the five elemental transformations, it was using _all_ the nature transformations. The release needed yin and yang chakra as well.

He nodded to one of his clones, who nodded back. Iruka gathered his chakra one more time and molded it into a yang release while his clone did the same with yin. Together they released the central seal.

A crisp _pop_ sounded inside the dome, and a book appeared on top of the scroll. 

Iruka grinned. He allowed himself one moment to savor his accomplishment. No matter what else happened, he'd cracked the hardest seal he'd seen in his life. He could be proud of that.

Glancing at the state of his barrier, the cracks more noticeable now and ever-growing, he considered his options.

He could try to cause a distraction to give himself a chance to get away from the ANBU, but no matter how many angles he considered it from, he couldn't see it working, not with any of the seals he'd prepared. He'd trapped himself here. There was no way to get the intel home.

The smart thing to do would be to give up, to admit defeat, but he was too stubborn for that. He could fight if he had to. He'd drop the barrier and make one last stand. Maybe he'd get unbelievably lucky and manage to defeat the ANBU after all. 

He mentally prepared himself for the fight that was to come, trying to think of ways he could use his remaining seals as his barrier edged closer to collapse. He had the exploding tags left, another genjutsu seal, another earth wall seal, the binding seal, a few more. 

But in the end, it didn't matter.

The final whistle sounded loud and clear over the arena. The ANBU stopped their attacks and body flickered away.

The test was over. The Intel team must have broken his seal. He hadn't completed his mission.

He grimaced. The only thing left to do now was hear the results. He dropped what remained of his barrier, dispelled his clones, and headed towards home base.

He didn't know how he would grade a student with his current results. He'd managed to hold off the ANBU long enough to get the scroll open, but if this had been real, he would be dead. Getting the intel meant nothing if he couldn't get it home.

The proctors were waiting for him when he arrived at home base, a half a dozen tokujou and jounin flanked Tsunade and Inoichi as Iruka walked up to them.

It'd been a long time since he'd been on this side of a test, and he couldn't say he'd missed it.

"Well," Tsunade said, looking him over. "Did you pass?"

Iruka blinked. "I think you need to tell me that, Tsunade-sama."

"Do you think you passed?"

"I'm not sure."

"Explain."

"I was able to get the seal open before the Intel team cracked mine, but I wasn't able to get it back home."

"Would that be a problem on a real mission?"

He opened his mouth to answer yes, of course dying in the field without bringing the intel home would be a problem, but her raised eyebrow stopped him. She was doing the same thing he'd done to countless students after tests. Walking them through their results, getting them to understand their strengths and weaknesses.

He considered the mission again.

"No," he said after a moment. "You'd never send me out to get intel alone."

Inoichi nodded. "We don't send seal specialists on solo missions. They're always assigned a protection detail when we do send them out of Konoha. Furthermore, your use of seals was creative, and you were thinking ahead by blocking our view at the start of the test."

Iruka tried not to get his hopes up as Inoichi continued. 

"And while the Intel team did manage to break your seal, the book was partially destroyed in the process."

He didn't let himself grin at that. "Does that mean I passed?'

Tsunade gave him a cool look. "You also tried to trap or incapacitate the ANBU instead of killing them."

"In a real situation, I wouldn't have done that."

"Wouldn't you? Your lack of killer instinct has been noted in your file for years."

Iruka would kill when he had to, especially to protect the people he cared for, but he avoided it whenever possible. He didn't take many missions where he'd be put in that situation.

"Tokubetsu jounin need to be capable of leading a team if required. Hesitation could cost your teammates' lives."

Iruka nodded, unable to argue with that.

"There is also the issue of your over-reliance on seals."

Iruka gave her a confused look. "It was a test to see how well I could use seals."

"No, it was a test to see if you are a good shinobi who uses seals well. Did you even once consider throwing a kunai at any of the ANBU?"

Iruka's jaw dropped. He'd been so focused on the need to show off his abilities with seals, he hadn't considered using the other tools at his disposal. He'd made the test harder than it had needed to be. " _Oh_."

"I thought as much," Tsunade replied, shaking her head in exasperation. "So, taking all that into account, we've decided your results."

Iruka's heart pounded in his chest. He held his breath and waited for their decision.

**Does Iruka pass or fail?**

**[A. Fail.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28064496/chapters/68755368#workskin) or [B. Pass.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28064496/chapters/68755416#workskin)**


	2. 1A - Fail

"In the end, we weren't able to pass you at this time," Tsunade said.

Iruka grimaced, his stomach sinking.

"It was close," Inoichi said. "But you're not quite there. You're welcome to try again. It's not uncommon for people to need a time or two before they pass."

Iruka nodded, he knew that, but it was hard not to be disheartened. "I'll give it some thought."

With that, he made his excuses and headed towards the door.

**Where does he go?**

**[A. Home.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28064496/chapters/68795928#workskin) or [B. For a walk.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28064496/chapters/68796252#workskin)**

Don't like where this is going? [Start over.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28064496/chapters/68755050#workskin)


	3. 1B - Pass

"In the end, your strengths outweigh your weaknesses, and we think you'll make a valuable member of the Intelligence Division," Tsunade said. "You pass."

Iruka was caught between sagging with relief and pumping his fist in victory, he managed to contain himself to a minor, momentary flail. 

"Thank you," he got out, not bothering to contain the wide grin on his face.

After years of thinking about it, after months of training, he was a tokubetsu jounin.

He didn't know what would come of it, but he couldn't wait to find out.

**What happens next?**

**[A. He goes home.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28064496/chapters/68799462#workskin) or [B. He goes out to celebrate.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28064496/chapters/68799696#workskin) or [C. He gets assigned a mission.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28064496/chapters/68799864#workskin)**

Don't like where this is going? [Start over.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28064496/chapters/68755050#workskin)


	4. 2A - Home

Iruka paused for a moment as he left the examination arena, breathing deeply and resetting his posture. He had so wanted to pass a promotion exam on this try. He taught! Surely he should be able to pass a test for which he’d studied this hard! He hadn’t expected to feel this bad about failing, and that made him feel worse, somehow.

Iruka took another deep breath as he headed for the street. He knew being active would help him feel better, but he doubted that he would find any of his usual exercise options helpful right now. He didn’t want to see anyone he worked with, and since Iruka both taught and worked in the Missions Room, he worked with pretty much every nin in Konoha.

Knowing he didn’t want to see any other ninja if he could avoid it decided him. At this time of day, few nin would be at the food market, and losing himself in the sellers’ patter and the sensory requirements of choosing just the right fruit and vegetables would give his mind something useful to do.

Iruka managed to spend over an hour at the market, taking the time to visit each booth rather than his usual practice of getting only the food he needed and making the visit as short as possible. Maybe he should do this more often. The woman with a bushel of melons, for example, happily talked him through picking the ripest in a size that he could eat in just a day or two.

However, once he’d made it through the market, he could no longer put off going home. It was time to deal with his failure. He trudged home and then up the stairs, nodding to the few people he passed, and finally stopped in front of his door. He juggled the bags of fruits and vegetables as he opened the door and entered his apartment.

**Who is there?**

**[A. No one.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28064496/chapters/68796786#workskin) or [B. Kakashi.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28064496/chapters/68797788#workskin)**

Don't like where this is going? [Start over.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28064496/chapters/68755050#workskin) or [Go back to the previous choice.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28064496/chapters/68755368#workskin)


	5. 2B - For a walk

Iruka sighed. He was avoiding his friends. He wasn’t prepared for commiseration quite yet. He wanted to sort out his own feelings. Look at his failure objectively. Any attempts his friends would make at consolation would only grate on his nerves. He didn’t want to lash out when they were only trying to be supportive. So Iruka had slipped away from the testing grounds alone. He had meandered around the village, sticking to back lanes and rarely used paths. Iruka avoided as many people as possible until he could find a quiet spot on a bench to think.

Daylight was waning, painting the sky pretty pinks and oranges. Iruka settled himself on the bench. He sprawled out haphazardly. He couldn’t believe he had failed. He had worked so hard. He had made sure he was prepared for the exam. He had studied harder and deeper into barriers and seals than he ever had before. He had sacrificed nearly all of his free time, which he had precious little of, and dedicated it to making tokujo. He had practice writing basic barrier seals, so much so, that he could write them without looking at the paper. He had done the same with paper bombs. He had challenged himself to the point where he thought he might scream in frustration but it hadn’t been enough. Iruka groaned out loud and rubbed at his face with both hands. 

A presence dropped down on the bench next to him. Iruka lifted a few fingers away from his face. Kakashi was sitting next to him, slumped comfortably on the bench. Iruka gritted his teeth. He was obviously settling in to stay for a while. Which meant there was no escape for Iruka. He dropped his hands from his face and shifted to sit up properly. 

“Hello, Kakashi-sensei,” Iruka said, politely. 

“Iruka-sensei.” Kakashi murmured as he tilted his head in acknowledgement. 

They sat in silence, letting the sounds of birds and insects fill the space between them. Iruka considered getting up and walking away but it would be rude. His relationship with Kakashi was tentative. They greeted each other politely and would talk occasionally about neutral subjects. Stomping off because he had a bad day would be rude. Iruka didn’t want to ruin the acquaintance he had carefully cultivated with Kakashi. 

“You seem upset.”

Iruka let out a sad, little laugh. 

“I’m trying to be mature about it, but yes, I am,” Iruka admitted. Iruka looked at his hands. He still had ink around two of the nail beds on his right hand. He scrubbed at them roughly. 

“Failure is tough,” Kakashi said.

Iruka really, really did not want to commiserate. He wanted to be disappointed. He wanted to wallow in it a bit. He had worked hard and missed his mark. He was allowed to sulk about it a little. 

“Not that I have a lot of experience with it,” Kakashi said, “At least when it comes to rank exams.”

Iruka snapped his gaze to Kakashi in irritation. Iruka twitched with the urge to swat the man. But Iruka was unwilling to both fail his exam and lose in a battle of wills to Hatake Kakashi on the same day. 

“But I have plenty of experience with it in the field.” 

Iruka’s mounting anger was snuffed out in an instant. He knew some of Kakashi’s history. He had heard the rumours. Everyone had. Iruka bit his lip. He wasn’t sure what to say. 

“I have some advice for you, if you want to hear it,” Kakashi said. He was focused on a small bird that was hopping on a branch in the tree across from them. 

“Um, yes. That would be nice,” Iruka said. At least Kakashi wasn’t trying to placate Iruka’s wounded pride. 

"You have to think of why Tsunade failed you," Kakashi said.

Iruka rubbed his forehead in irritation. Why he thought Kakashi would actually have something helpful to say was beyond him.

"Because I was so focused on the seals aspect of the test I didn't think about the rest of my skill set," Iruka said, trying to keep his mounting irritation out of his voice. "I didn't think of it. At all."

Kakashi made a contemplative noise. 

"And why is that a problem?" Kakashi asked.

Iruka grit his teeth and clawed back the urge to whip a kunai at the other man's head.

"Because, I need to be able to do more than seals and barriers to complete a mission," Iruka snapped. "Specializing doesn’t necessarily equate to success."

"Not entirely true," Kakashi replied. "And not necessarily true in your case."

“What does that mean?” Iruka asked with more hostility than he meant to let slip out. 

“Barriers and seals are defensive when they’re considered in their most basic nature,” Kakashi said. “But they have the potential to be great weapons. If the person using them is creative and a little vicious. Someone like a former prankster.”

Kakashi slanted a glance at Iruka from the corner of his eye. Iruka flushed. Pranks required creativity. He tilted his head in acknowledgement at Kakashi’s attempt at a compliment. But vicious seemed a step too far. Well, most of the time anyway. There had been occasions that Iruka had been a little ruthless. But those people had earned that ruthlessness. Iruka shook his head.

“That takes time and planning,” Iruka replied. “I doubt I would be given that kind of time by a pursuit team.”

“I have faith in you.”

Iruka snorted. “Apparently the Godaime does not.” 

“I don’t think that’s the case,” Kakashi argued.

“It really doesn’t feel like it at the moment,” Iruka sighed. He slumped back on the bench and looked to the sky. “It’s just so frustrating. I would have a team with me. One that could fight and cover my back. I don’t see why she was so concerned about everything _but_ my seals.”

Kakashi let out a humming noise. He mimicked Iruka’s slouched posture and sprawled just enough that they were almost touching. Iruka could feel his body heat. 

"Yes, that's true. You would have a team with you to fight for you," Kakashi said, amiably. "But that isn't the reason you failed."

"Then what is, Kakashi? Because I'd really like to know,” Iruka meant the words to come out snappish. Not sad and small and stained with self-pity. Iruka winced. 

"If the people on your team were, say, Naruto," Kakashi paused to roll his head to the side and pierce Iruka with his one-eyed gaze. "And maybe a few more of your adorable, former students, could you run away and leave them behind to fight while you escaped?"

Iruka straightened from his slouch. He swallowed and felt his hands curl into fists. Kakashi glanced at Iruka’s hands. 

"That's why you failed. It's not just about your skills, it's also about who you are," Kakashi continued on ruthlessly. "Tsunade knows that you are loyal and diligent. You’re a good shinobi. She understands that you will protect the people around you without a second thought. She knows you would sacrifice the mission to protect your team. Because that is who you are. It's your feelings of attachment that feed your Will of Fire."

Iruka looked down at his hands. Shame crawled through him because he couldn't argue. He couldn't say Kakashi was wrong. He would throw himself away for any of his students without a second thought.

"Before Tsunade lets you become tokujo, she wants you to be strong enough to stand your ground. Because on a mission, it's not a question of if you’re going to be engaged by enemy nin. It's a question of when."

"I'll never be strong enough to take on an S-class shinobi on my own,” Iruka said. There wasn’t enough training in the world for him to manage that.

"She doesn't need you to. Konoha doesn't need you to. Ideally, even a jounin shouldn't be in that situation. Seals and barriers are a skill that's sent out for missions that are outside of the norm. The Hokage will assign you a team best suited for your missions. But first she needs to know how you'll fight to protect your team so you can all get home _and_ complete the mission. That's what you failed to demonstrate in the arena." 

Kakashi smiled at Iruka.

“She needs to see every nasty, cheap, vicious attack you’re willing to hurl at someone to protect your team. It’s how she’ll see who she needs to send with you to cover for your shortfalls. Then she’ll promote you.”

“You seem pretty sure I’ll be promoted,” Iruka observed. 

Kakashi shrugged. 

Iruka really did want to stab him with a kunai. But it was his own fault. He had essentially just asked Hatake Kakashi for reassurance. He might as well have been trying to bleed a stone. On the other hand, if Kakashi felt Iruka wasn’t ready he wouldn’t hesitate to say so. 

Iruka took a deep breath. He was still disappointed. Incredibly so, but the weight of his failure was no longer so crushing. Iruka stood up from the bench and bowed. 

"Thank you for your observations, Kakashi-sensei. I think it’s best if I consider them and weigh my options."

Kakashi nodded and gave a halfhearted wave. Iruka turned on his heel and headed home. He would hide in his apartment, tend his wounded vanity then decide when he would be ready to try again.

**When does he retake the test?**

**[A. Now.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28064496/chapters/68798526#workskin) or [B. Later.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28064496/chapters/68798970#workskin)**

Don't like where this is going? [Start over.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28064496/chapters/68755050#workskin) or [Go back to the previous choice.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28064496/chapters/68755368#workskin)


	6. 3A - No one

You've made Iruka sad!

**Would you like to try again?**

**[A. Yes, take me back to the beginning!](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28064496/chapters/68755050#workskin) or [B. Yes, take me back to the previous choice!](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28064496/chapters/68795928#workskin)**

[See all the options.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28064496/chapters/68801154#workskin)


	7. 3B - Kakashi

When the door shut behind Iruka, he heard the sounds of someone humming softly in his kitchen. As bad as his day had been, he smiled as he carried his purchases down the hall. It would be nice to have someone to share all this food with him.

Kakashi had his back to Iruka when he entered the kitchen and put the bags down on the table. Iruka wasn’t sure how to read that. Sometimes, Kakashi was in the middle of something that needed attention right then, but it looked like the other man was simply chopping vegetables.

“How are you doing?” Kakashi asked quietly.

Oh, Iruka thought, he already knows. “I really wanted to pass today.”

Kakashi put down the knife and turned to Iruka. “Spar? Hug? Mangle vegetables?”

Iruka laughed. It was a shadow of his usual laugh, but it was the first real laugh he’d had today. “Hug and then mangle vegetables?”

Kakashi opened his arms and let Iruka walk into them.

“I went shopping. Let me know what you want to have mangled.”

Kakashi tightened his arms rather than answer with words. Iruka hugged back as hard as he could.

“I’m sorry. I know you were hoping for a different result.” Kakashi brushed a kiss against Iruka’s ear as he spoke.

“If wishes were horses,” Iruka muttered, patting Kakashi’s back to let him know that was enough hugging for now. “At least you’re here.”

“And making your favorite evening meal,” Kakashi announced, squeezing Iruka once more before letting go.

“Even though I failed?”

“You didn’t pass. Don’t I remember you having this discussion with Naruto at some point?”

Iruka laughed again, this one even closer to his usual. He had had exactly that discussion with Naruto several times. Of course, Kakashi would bring that up today.

“Besides, it’s comfort food. I also brought the commiseration bottle of sake and the consolation dessert.”

This time, Iruka hugged Kakashi, pushing against the older man’s back so he could continue looking through the bags of food Iruka had brought in. “Can we put mangling vegetables off and hug some more? In the living room? With the sake?”

Kakashi put an eggplant back on the table and squeezed Iruka’s hands gently. “I’ll get the sake and cups; you pull out the extra fluffy blanket.”

Iruka nodded against Kakashi’s back, smiling. Cuddling on the couch with Kakashi would be a nice way to end this day.

**You've reached the end of this path!**

**If you'd like to try another, you can[start over from the beginning](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28064496/chapters/68755050#workskin) or [go back to the previous choice](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28064496/chapters/68795928#workskin).**

[See all the options.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28064496/chapters/68801154#workskin)


	8. 4A - Retaking now

Iruka didn't sleep that night.

The events of the day and his own tumultuous feelings --a rolling storm of disappointment and frustration-- kept him awake.

It didn't help that Kakashi's words continued to echo in his mind.

_…she wants you to be strong enough to stand your ground…_

Iruka knew his own shortcomings. He knew that compared to his comrades, Iruka didn't have much of a killer's mindset. Iruka knew how to kill, of course; he was still shinobi, and a good one at that. He had his fair share of kills, though considerably less than most Chunin his age.

But there was a difference between ability and capability. Iruka was able to kill his enemy, though mostly in defense. He was not capable of seeking them out on his own. Iruka found it difficult. Chasing down an enemy, he knew, required a certain headspace, one devoid of emotions. The enemy was considered ‘other,’ not an ally. It was a target, and never a person. Iruka had a hard time disconnecting himself to that degree. He was an emotional man, and he couldn't switch that part off. He just couldn't and so, he avoided situations that required such extreme dissociation.

His recent performance was proof enough of that.

From the beginning, Iruka focused on buying time, on putting distance between himself and the 'enemy.' He immediately gave up on the idea of fighting the ANBU, he didn't even try. All of his attacks were aimed to block, to help him evade and not engage them directly. Even when he found himself caught, rather than fighting the ANBU, he trapped himself in a barrier, hoping to accomplish one of the objectives.

He failed, of course.

Iruka pressed the heel of his palms against his eyes and hissed at the pressure. His eyes felt dry and there was a headache building at the base of his skull.

Kakashi was right in his assessment, and Lady Tsunade was correct in failing him. Iruka would have failed him, too, if he had watched someone else perform the way he had. This test wasn't a test of his talents at seals and barriers, so much as it was an opportunity to demonstrate that he was capable of pushing himself beyond his comfort zone and still be dependable.

Iruka dropped his hands and opened his eyes. He blinked slowly as his vision gained colors and clarity.

Both the Hokage and Kakashi believed he was capable. Now it was up to him to believe that, too.

Iruka nodded to himself. "Right, now how to do that."

He looked around his living room. It was a little bit messy, not enough to trigger Iruka into a cleaning spree. There were several open boxes where Iruka stored his research, and the coffee table was covered in half finished grading. He wrinkled his nose at that, and wondered if his class was behaving for their substitute teacher. Iruka had asked for the day off, anticipating that he would need a day to recover. Of course, at the time, Iruka thought he would need it to recover physically, and not mentally, as the case may be.

Still, it all worked out, since he needed the time to come up with a good plan. As for his unruly students, Iruka was sure that the substitute was fine. They were shinobi. They could handle a bunch of mischievous students. If not, then it was a good learning experience to never underestimate the devious creativity of a pre-genin bent on being a little shit.

Unexpectedly, something Kakashi said came to mind, when he was talking about using barriers and seals beyond their basic nature. They had potential to be great weapons, but only if the person was creative and a little vicious. Or someone like…

"…a former prankster," Iruka said slowly. He felt his lips twitch and then slowly spread into a large grin. "Oh, I see…"

Iruka jumped to his feet and ran to his bedroom. He moved straight to the closet and reached to the very back where he tended to stuff things he had no intention of opening again. There was a small box there where he kept a special scroll. Iruka quickly opened the dusty old box and pulled out the scroll. It was a regular storage scroll, though its contents were anything but regular.

Iruka unrolled it on the floor, next to his bed and placed his hand right in the middle. With a quick burst of chakra, several notebooks popped into existence. Iruka looked down at the topmost notebook with a sense of nostalgia and exasperation toward his younger self. The notebook read in bold black letters:

MASTER PRANKSTER IRUKA’S REVENGE BOOK VOL. 1.

There was a little cartoon picture of himself and all sorts of doodles on the cover. Iruka huffed and flipped open the notebook.

Perhaps Kakashi was onto something. Perhaps Iruka didn't need to become a cold-blooded killer with no emotions. No, maybe all he needed was to tap into something that was already there inside of him, deep down. It was equally as blood thirty and vicious as any missing nin, and ruthless as the ANBU that beat him.

Iruka nodded his head.

Yes, this will do.

\----------

Tsunade stared at him for a long moment. Behind her, Inoichi pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Well," Tsunade said finally. "I wasn't expecting that. What the hell happened between the last test and today? It's been two days!"

Iruka tried to respond but he was still trying to get his breathing under control. His legs were shaking and his right arm was hanging limply. He was using his left hand to press against his side where a fire ball jutsu had burned through his flak jacket and shirt.

"What I want to know is how you managed to blast through feet of solid rock."

Iruka looked up and saw Ibiki pushed past the group of gaping toukujo and jounin. The man shot Iruka a pointed look. "Well?"

Iruka licked his lips. "That was a fluke, actually."

Ibiki looked unimpressed. The sentiment was shared by both Tsunade and Inoichi. Iruka's legs were threatening to buckle but he forced himself to remain standing.

"Try that again," Ibiki said. Iruka looked at Tsunade, who raised an eyebrow. She wanted to know, too.

"Well, the seal I used," Iruka began slowly, "it was supposed to take the ambient chakra that we throw out and gather it so it can be released. It was supposed to disorient the enemy, make them guess at my position. I just didn't anticipate that ANBU-san would release such a large amount of chakra."

The ANBU had been trying to intimidate him, Iruka knew. Only, his little seal still needed refinement and had absorbed all of the chakra the special operative had emitted. The poor seal had become overwhelmed and released it automatically. Luckily, it was directed away from the ANBU, or else they would have been blasted clear across the room.

Ibiki hummed and turned to Tsunade. "Hokage-sama, permission to…"

"Denied," Tsunade cut in. She didn't even look at Ibiki. She smiled at Iruka. "I have plans for my new Tokubetsu Jounin."

It took an embarrassingly long time to understand what she said. Even then, Iruka still asked. "Wait, I passed?"

Tsunade smirked. "Of course. Congratulations, Umino Iruka, you passed."

\------

"Iruka!"

"Congratulations!"

Iruka was still in a daze that he didn't immediately see his friends waiting for him in front of his apartment. Tsunade had healed him and sent him off. Iruka had walked around the village, his mind still back in that testing room with the Hokage congratulating him for passing the test. He still couldn’t believe it was real.

He was no longer a Chunin. He was a Tokubetsu Jounin now.

Izumo and Kotetsu descended on him, latching onto him, one on each side. "We heard the good news!"

"You're really moving on up!"

Iruka laughed. "How did you even know? I haven't told anyone."

Just then a shout came from behind him. The next second someone jumped onto his back. Iruka planted his feet when he felt himself about to topple forward under the sudden weight. Something pressed against the side of his face and a familiar voice practically shouted into his ear.

"Iruka! You are finally one of us!" Anko said. "I knew you could do it!"

Iruka tried to dislodge her but she wrapped herself around him like a stubborn vine. "Anko! Get off!"

"No!" Anko cried, and laughed like a maniac when Iruka cursed her. "Ibiki told me all about it. He said you were awesome." Of course. Iruka had forgotten Ibiki had been there when Tsunade told him he passed the test.

"Did he really use the word awesome?" Izumo asked, looking skeptical. "What did he really say?"

"No, no, no, wait!" Kotetsu said. "Let's save that for when we get to the bar."

"Wait, what?" Iruka stumbled as Izumo and Kotetsu pulled him forward. "Why are we going to the bar?"

"Well, that's a stupid question," Genma said, before he stepped into Iruka field of vision. Raidou a beat behind him. He gave Iruka a smile. "Congratulations."

Iruka rolled his eyes. "Did Anko tell everyone in the village?"

"Almost everyone," Genma said and then he smirked. "I'm pretty sure the shinobi out on missions don't know yet. But they will."

Iruka sighed, and sighed again when Anko started to bounce on his back, kicking his side like a horse.

"To the bar!" she shouted.

"To the bar!" his friends echoed.

**Would you like to follow Iruka to the bar?**

**[A. Yes! Time to celebrate!](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28064496/chapters/68799696#workskin) or B. No, I'm good here.**

Don't like where this is going? [Start over.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28064496/chapters/68755050#workskin) or [Go back to the previous choice.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28064496/chapters/68796252#workskin)


	9. 4B - Retaking later

So much time had passed that Iruka had forgotten he attempted the exam for tokubetsu jounin and failed.

Iruka had always meant to give Kakashi's advice some more thought, had even considered retaking the test back before the fourth great shinobi war, but there was always something more important to focus on. Konoha seemed to always attract trouble too, and it was one thing right after another. Since the conclusion of the war, however, things seemed to settle down and people resumed their day to day lives. While much remained the same, Konoha was swept up in a wave of change.

The sun began to dip behind the far off horizon, lights flickered on one by one as Iruka walked down the street with his hands shoved in his pockets—feeling sorry for himself. If someone decided to stop him, he wouldn't admit that he was sulking. Not that it would be hard to figure out that he was having a one-man pity-party. 

Tsunade had summoned him to her office just after his mission desk shift ended this evening. He had assumed it was to help with the administrative mess that was slowly taking over her office, but when Iruka had entered it was clean for once, and Tsunade had a serious look on her face.

Iruka was thrilled for the opportunity to step into the role of the headmaster of the academy of course—thrilled that Tsunade would consider him for the job… That was until he had found out about the rank requirement, and then suddenly all the excitement he had felt for the promotion was sapped out of him.

 _“You are a capable Shinobi Iruka. Retake the test.”_ She had urged him.

He was never good at handling failure, and it took all of Iruka’s willpower not to bite out _‘easier said than done’_ in response. He knew he should feel honored that Tsunade had that kind of faith in him. Instead, Iruka bowed, thanked her, and made a hasty retreat.

There was only one way to deal with his day taking a nosedive.

Ichiraku Ramen.

Iruka cut across the street, dodging cheerful villagers as he went, and ducked into his favorite little shop.

“Teuchi-san, the usual please!” Iruka called out tiredly as he plopped down on a stool. He collapsed forward onto the counter, and buried his head in his arms to hide from the world.

“Coming right up!” Teuchi happily answered.

Some of the tension left Iruka's body as he breathed in the mingling smells of ramen broth and listened to Teuchi move around in the kitchen. The little shop had become his sanctuary when he was a kid, and it never failed to calm him down—even now. Teuchi-san and Ayame-chan were always good company, able to take his mind off whatever was bothering him with random topics or the newest bit of juicy gossip. It helped that the food was exceptional too.

“Sorry for the wait, Iruka-san! One extra large tonkatsu ramen with two eggs and barbecued pork slices, on the house!” Teuchi announced as he placed the bowl down in front of Iruka with a heavy thunk.

“You didn’t have to do that,” Iruka said as he sat up. He could argue with the man, but Teuchi was stubborn as a mule when he wanted to be.

“You looked like you could use it,” he said, grinning widely, and then turned away before Iruka could protest further.

Iruka shook his head and instead grabbed a pair of chopsticks. Just as he split them apart, someone a few seats down spoke up.

“You look about as thrilled as I feel, Sensei.”

Iruka could recognize that voice anywhere.

He snorted and looked over at Kakashi, nearly choking on his spit when he realized the man was maskless as he stared morosely down into his ramen bowl.

“Don’t be mean, sensei, I can’t handle any more bad news today. You can tell me I’m ugly another time.” Kakashi teased when Iruka didn't respond right away. Or it was meant to be teasing, Iruka guessed, but it didn’t have any weight behind it with that pout he was sporting. Kakashi’s mouth was quite expressive.

“If you’re ugly, then I must be hideous,” Iruka quipped, trying to lighten the mood some more.

Kakashi’s lips twitched and he tilted his head up just enough to give Iruka a look that said _‘you’re kidding’_.

Iruka cleared his throat as he fought down a blush and got up off his stool.

“So what kind of bad news did _you_ get today?” He questioned as he slid his bowl of ramen down the counter and settled into a stool next to Kakashi.

Kakashi sighed melodramatically and laid his chopsticks down over his bowl. “Tsunade told me I was going to be Rokudaime.”

Not like that was a surprise. Kakashi had almost got the job shortly after Pein reduced Konoha to a barren crater. While Kakashi was public menace number two, Iruka would be the first to admit that there were very few people in the village right now who were qualified to be Hokage. Naruto would be an exception if he wasn’t still a genin.

Leave it to Kakashi to get upset over having more _responsibilities_.

“And?” Iruka said, raising an eyebrow.

“ _And_ she didn’t give me a choice,” Kakashi complained.

Iruka couldn’t help but laugh. This side of Kakashi was endearing, and it was one that he had hardly ever seen before the Tsukiyomi business.

“Yeah well, she’s putting me up for Headmaster of the Academy,” Iruka supplied when he got his amusement under control.

Kakashi looked at him then, eyebrows raised, clearly impressed. “Congratulations, Sensei!”

But Iruka didn’t feel like he deserved Kakashi’s words or his reaction.

“I’d say thanks, but I don’t know if I’m going to accept,” Iruka confessed. “I have to make tokubetsu to meet all of the requirements.”

Kakashi steepled his fingers, humming thoughtfully. The melodramatic and teasing atmosphere was now gone, Iruka missed it already.

“Konoha’s future would be in good hands if you accepted, Iruka. Ultimately Tsunade can’t make you do anything you don’t want to, but I think you would regret it down the line if you didn’t.” Kakashi told him. “You’re also a different person than you were back then.”

Kakashi was once again surprising him with unexpected wisdom, although this time he was more straightforward about it than when he was giving Iruka advice about failure.

“I wouldn’t mind having someone competent and reliable in the position,” Kakashi remarked off-handedly.

Iruka blushed. The blatant compliment was making his entire body tingle.

“So you’re going to accept, then?”

Kakashi shrugged. “Being Rokudaime became a little more appealing knowing I’ll get to work with you.”

Iruka was sure he was as bright as a tomato now. That was high praise coming from Kakashi.

"Well, when you put it like that…" Iruka grinned. "If I do this, then you have to approve the academy's new obstacle course."

"Done."

"And we renegotiate the budget. It's a crime to have to jump through so many hoops to get a box of chalk." Iruka added. It was overkill to have to fill out a requisition form in triplicate, and then be denied because you're over budget. The only way that would change was if he accepted the promotion and changed the process himself.

Kakashi's eyes crinkled as he smiled and he propped his chin on his hand. "You don't mess around, sensei. I think this is the start of a beautiful relationship.”

“It's a bit early to be calling it a relationship, Kakashi. But I'm sure after a few long nights in the office together, _with_ some takeout, could change that.” Iruka said smiling slyly as he winked at Kakashi.

“Already planning our future dates? I like the way you think, _Sensei_.” Kakashi replied, his voice pitched low and suggestive as he waggled his eyebrows.

Iruka snorted and turned back to his ramen. “Don’t expect a kiss on the first date, _Hokage-sama,_ ” he teased.

Kakashi’s answering chuckle made Iruka’s stomach do excited flips. Suddenly all the negative feelings that had dogged Iruka since his meeting with Tsunade dissipated. He felt lighter and happier knowing that he now had a greater motivation for taking and passing the test.

The start of a beautiful relationship indeed.

**You've reached the end of this path!**

**If you'd like to try another, you can[start over from the beginning](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28064496/chapters/68755050#workskin) or [go back to the previous choice](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28064496/chapters/68796252#workskin).**

[See all the options.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28064496/chapters/68801154#workskin)


	10. 5A - Home to celebrate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is rated M.

Kakashi paced their apartment nervously, his bare feet soundless and swift against the floor.

“I should go there,” he announced.

“Bad idea,” Pakkun replied lazily from the floor, his head resting on top of his front paws. “Iruka specifically told you not to.”

“I’ll cloak myself. He won’t know.”

“That’s equivalent to lying.”

“Ugh,” Kakashi groaned. “When did you become my conscience?”

“Someone’s gotta be.”

Kakashi shot him a disgruntled glare, moving to peek out of the window as if it would allow him to see the testing grounds several miles away.

“Why is it taking so long?” he complained. “What if they don’t evaluate him fairly? I don’t trust some of those proctors. Inochi, fine. Tsunade, understandable obviously, but _Genma?_ Come on.”

Kakashi left the window to perch on the back of the couch.

“I could take Genma out, henge into him, and replace him,” Kakashi suggested.

Pakkun lifted his head to stare at him, unimpressed, before rolling onto his side.

“Then he’d definitely fail and you’d be in big trouble. Iruka would be tried as a colluder considering your relationship, which is why _you_ weren’t allowed to proctor with the other jounin in the first place.” 

Pakkun started chewing between his paw pads, cleaning out the gunk. 

“If you just summoned me to whine about your boyfriend, I’m outta here.”

Kakashi clicked his tongue.

“Don’t act like you aren’t anxious for the result either; I can smell it on you.”

“Your nose is good, but not that good, kid.”

“Oh really? Then—,”

Both of them perked up immediately. It was comical really, a mirror image of each other. They were faced in the same direction, their ears at attention, their senses reaching, both of them detecting Iruka at the exact same time.

Kakashi tried to get a read on his chakra, but his partner was keeping it frustratingly neutral. Guess he’d have to wait for Iruka to verbally tell him the results, _boring._

He briefly contemplated dropping onto the couch cushions with a book, pretending he hadn’t been on edge since Iruka left, but he decided to bypass nonchalance for once.

Kakashi waited with bated breath as Iruka came through the door, slipped off his shoes, and padded his way towards Kakashi. He looked a little put-out--a few dirt marks here and there--but otherwise uninjured.

“They started breaking through the seals on my scrolls immediately,” Iruka scowled, removing his forehead protector and dropping it on the counter. “And while I managed to open the intel scroll before they unlocked mine… I thought the one I crafted was impenetrable.”

“Iruka,” Kakashi laughed gently. “They’re the best of the best.”

“ _I_ want to be the best of the best…” Iruka replied, fixing him with a hard stare.

Well, Kakashi couldn’t argue with that.

“… but I guess that was my downfall. I was too focused on showing what I could do with seals, that I didn’t even _think_ to use the other tools in my arsenal to help me complete the mission.”

Kakashi’s heart broke in two, Pakkun letting out a low, sad whine. He tried to muster up something supportive to say.

“I’m sorry, Iruka. I know how hard you trained. You can always try again; maybe next year—”

“—What?” Iruka blinked, his brow furrowed in confusion, before his eyes softened in understanding. “Oh, no. I mean I passed, I just could have done it better.”

“You—you passed?!” Kakashi asked, taking a step forward. 

Iruka’s mouth cracked into a grin, his earlier disappointment fading away.

“I’m a tokujou, baby.”

Kakashi pulled him into a hug, lifting him off his feet momentarily, Pakkun yipping happily at their ankles. 

“Why didn’t you lead with that?! Congratulations!”

“I like to keep you on your toes,” Iruka smirked, crouching down to give Pakkun a quick scratch behind the ears. He stood up, tugging Kakashi to him by the vest. “Your concern for me was very sweet.”

“Asshole,” Kakashi laughed; Iruka pulled down his mask, smothering it with a kiss.

“I do have you to thank though,” Iruka said, slowly unzipping Kakashi’s vest while walking him back against a wall (Pakkun popped out of existence after a rushed ‘congrats sensei!’). “Seems like an unfair advantage to have _The Copy Nin_ —,” Iruka emphasized, teasing him. “—who _also_ happens to be an ex-ANBU, help me train.”

Kakashi smiled in remembrance.

Once Iruka had decided to test for tokubetsu jounin, he started training several months in advance. It had created some tension in their relationship, as Kakashi was often his guinea pig, solving his first trail run of new seals with ease. Honestly, he cracked them all fairly easily, something that both pissed Iruka off and simultaneously impressed him, leading to some angsty but very hot sex. As the exam had loomed closer though, Iruka had managed to trip Kakashi up a few times, a success in itself.

Iruka mouthed near his ear, hot breath ghosting across it as fingers dove beneath his shirt to skate across his abdomen. Kakashi kissed him passionately, drinking in the familiar taste of his lover’s tongue.

“I’m still full of adrenaline,” Iruka panted against his mouth, pulling Kakashi’s bottom lip through his teeth. “And there’s only one place I want to put it.”

A whimper weaseled it’s way out of Kakashi’s throat; if this was still the beginning of their relationship, Kakashi would have been embarrassed, but he stopped giving a fuck a long time ago.

“Give it to me,” he growled. 

Iruka’s breath hitched, his mouth dropping to suck at Kakashi’s neck as he brought their hands together, sliding them up the wall, just past Kakashi’s head. Kakashi felt a subtle wave of chakra wash over his palms, and when Iruka let go, his hands remained firmly in place.

Kakashi glanced up at his wrists and gave them an experimental tug, but they wouldn’t budge. There were no seals in sight though he knew they were there. This must have been planned. 

“When did you do this?”

Iruka shrugged, a smug smile on his face.

“You’d be surprised at where I’ve placed some of these.”

Kakashi dropped his head against the wall with a wanting gasp, keening the rest of his body forward, eager for Iruka’s touch. His imagination was running rampant, wondering where the rest of them could be.

“Hm. You like that, don’t you?” Iruka purred, fingering the button on Kakashi’s pants, knowing full well he loved to be restrained.

Just as Iruka was lowering to his knees, Kakashi felt a presence outside.

“Iruka—wait. _Stop.”_

“What. Why?” Iruka snapped with annoyance. 

Kakashi shoved the word _hot_ out of this frazzled mind. 

“Naruto,” he said instead, looking towards the balcony.

Iruka turned around to find Naruto--his fist held in the air with the intention to knock but never quite getting there--looking rather pale.

“I wonder who taught him to rudely enter through windows,” Iruka hissed.

“Beats me.”

“This is your fault,” Iruka said over his shoulder as he left him to let Naruto in.

“Wait—you didn’t—” Kakashi mumbled, his wrists still stuck to the wall. He figured out the seal quickly enough now that he focused his attention on it, and slipped free.

“Not a word,” Iruka threatened Naruto, once he opened the glass door.

“Ugh, god. I should have bought you some freakin’ blinds as a gift for making tokujou instead of baking a cake.”

“Maybe you should respect people’s privacy and use the door,” Iruka bristled. 

“Kakashi-sensei doesn’t,” he said with a shrug.

Iruka’s eyes shot daggers at Kakashi; Kakashi crinkled his in a smile, his mask firmly back in place.

“Anyway!” Naruto said, bright and giddy again, placing a box on the table. He flipped open the lid. “Surprise!”

Inside was a cake that looked alarmingly like a penis, with the words Congrats Iruka-sensei! written in green gel on top of orange frosting. 

“What… is that,” Kakashi managed to ask.

“It’s a kunai cake obviously,” Naruto said, oblivious.

Now that Naruto said it, Kakashi could see it… theoretically, but the baking had expanded the dough, making it thicker, smoothing pointed edges into rounded ones.

He spared a glance at Iruka, which turned out to be a mistake. He was barely keeping himself together, tears pooling in in his eyes, almost causing Kakashi to crack.

Good thing they were expertly trained shinobi. 

“How were you able to make this so fast?” Iruka asked, trying to keep the conversation going before one of them burst out laughing.

Naruto squinted at the two of them.

“You guys are being weirder than usual,” Naruto said. “But uh, I baked it this morning! I was gonna give it to you whether you passed or not.”

“…and then what? Congratulate me on my failure?” Iruka laughed, a little too hard.

“I wrote that after I heard the news. If you failed I woulda wrote ‘you tried.’”

“Real nice,” Iruka said, playfully pushing him on the shoulder, walking past him to grab some plates and utensils. 

He was placing them on the table when a loud knock rapted against the door. 

“I’ll get it!” Naruto shouted, bounding forwards.

“Congratulations sensei!” Ino and Sakura said in unison when they reached the kitchen, shoving flowers at him.

“Ah, you didn’t have to,” Iruka blushed, moving to get a vase. “And thank you for using the door,” he stressed, sending a pointed look at Naruto, who looked away, whistling. 

“Sakura made the bouquet, that’s why it’s so tacky,” Ino said, inspecting her nails. “We’d never sell anything that hideous at Yamanaka’s...”

“Hey!” Sakura said, reeling back to whack her on the shoulder, but Ino caught her fist before it made contact. “You said it looked nice earlier.”

“Well I lied,” Ino replied sweetly, tightening her hand around Sakura’s knuckles. 

Sakura stuck out her tongue at her girlfriend. 

“I guess we need more plates,” Iruka smiled, happily looking in Kakashi’s direction. 

“I’ll get them,” Kakashi offered, startling both Ino and Sakura from behind.

“Kakashi-sensei!” Sakura cried. “I didn’t know you were here.”

“Maa, I taught you better detection skills than that.”

“I-I wasn’t trying!” she blushed. 

Kakashi affectionately ruffled her pink hair on his way to the table with the extra plates. 

“Say Ino…” Naruto started, sidling up to her. “Is it possible to like, go in my mind and delete a memory I created 10 minutes ago?”

 _“NARUTO!”_ Iruka bellowed in warning. 

“What! I’m the one who has to live with the image of you in front of Kakashi-sensei’s d—!”

“—you didn’t see anything! We were fully clothed!—,”

“—unfortunately—” Kakashi chimed in, dividing the “kunai” cake with an actual kunai.

 _“You—,”_ Iruka whipped around to point at him. “—don’t start. Or you’ll _only_ be fully clothed with me for the unforeseeable future. And I swear to god that kunai better be clean.”

“It’s brand new,” Kakashi frowned, at the same time Naruto groaned out an _oh my god._

“Get over it, Naruto,” Sakura said, hooking her arm around his neck. “We’re all adults now.” 

“Oh, this is _delightful,”_ Ino cackled. “I’d heard you two were together, but I didn’t know if it was only rumors; Sakura refused to confirm. How cute.” 

“Yeah, but, Iruka is kinda like, my _dad,”_ Naruto emphasized. “And Kakashi is…”

Kakashi looked at him, waiting.

 _“...Kakashi,”_ Naruto said, waving his hands around. 

“Uh, thanks?” 

Kakashi wasn’t sure if he should be offended as he held out a plate with cake on it. Naruto snatched it and went to sit on a cushion next to the kotatsu. 

Kakashi handed plates of cake to everyone else, leaving Iruka for last. The kids were chatting animatedly around the kotatsu while they stayed at the kitchen table a short distance away. 

“I made sure to save you the tip,” Kakashi said suggestively, sliding the plate towards him.

“Fuck off,” Iruka laughed quietly. “...How is it they found out so quickly?”

“For a village of shinobi, we suck at keeping secrets. I’m sure all of Konoha knows by now.”

“You’re probably right,” Iruka sighed, as Kakashi scooted his chair closer, his elbow and thigh pressed against Iruka’s; the contact always grounded him.

“Okay, but it _really_ looks like a cock,” Kakashi whispered. “Right?”

“It really does,” Iruka laughed into his napkin, almost choking on his bite. He continued to laugh, hard and silent, his abdomen aching.

Kakashi placed a hand on his forehead, downturning his face to shield his own laughter, his shoulders shaking with it. 

“How can he not see it?” Kakashi asked, a tear streaming out of his exposed eye.

“Are you seriously asking me that? You’re his teacher, too.”

“Valid point,” Kakashi chuckled, wiping away the tear. “I suppose it’s still fitting either way... kunais, cocks, you’re fond of both.”

Iruka restrained himself from smashing the remainder of the cake in his partner’s face.

“Sometimes I honestly don’t know what I see in you,” Iruka said, his eyes full of fondness despite his words.

“Me either.”

Iruka took another bite of cake, pressing his foot to the leg of Kakashi’s chair. Kakashi felt the same subtle wave of chakra from earlier weave around his shin and ankle, binding him. He stilled, his breathing gone shallow. He knew Iruka was only teasing him since the kids were still here; he simply wanted Kakashi to know the seals were there, and the knowledge made his chakra crackle beneath his skin.

“I love you,” Kakashi blurted with flushed cheeks.

Iruka’s mouth curled into a mischievous grin, a promising sight for the night to come.

“I know.”

**You've reached the end of this path!**

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[See all the options.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28064496/chapters/68801154#workskin)


	11. 5B - Bar

Iruka laughed at his friends as they pulled him through the door of their favorite bar. Like many in Konoha, they had come here for every promotion above chuunin, and Iruka was thrilled to be here again after passing the exam for tokubetsu jounin.

Izumo and Kotetsu veered off to join Genma and Raidou in taking over the largest table. Anko, however, kept a tight hold on Iruka’s elbow and steered him to the bar. 

“Preference or buyer’s choice?” the woman behind the bar asked when they reached her. Iruka wondered how the bartenders always knew about promotions before the official announcement. Maybe he’d ask one day.

“Beer,” Iruka answered.

“The first one’s on me!” Anko announced.

“Any particular beer?”

Iruka glanced at the taps and shrugged. “I like all the ones on tap. Bartender’s choice?”

She grinned at him and went to pull his first beer of the night, sliding the glass to him across the gleaming wood of the bar. “Congratulations. Enjoy your night, but not too much. I hate cleaning up after someone gets sick.”

Iruka nodded in sympathy; he had the same reaction to students on too much candy. “Maybe make the rest of the pulls half size.”

The bartender laughed, nodding, and went to help another customer. Anko took this opportunity to pull Iruka to their table by taking a winding path that allowed them to pass by nearly every table in the room and so allowed those already present to congratulate Iruka. In addition, five separate people propositioned him during the trip.

When they finally reached their table, Genma and Izumo pulled Iruka down between them, offering their usual complaints about his preference for only drinking beer at these events. Iruka smiled at Raidou as they both responded to Genma’s teasing by reminding him of the increasingly absurd mixed drinks that nin had ordered for Genma at his promotion party.

“In fact,” Iruka mused, “I remember you specifically asking me to order you a nice light beer just to have a break.”

Genma scowled while the rest of them laughed.

Before Iruka finished his first beer, one of the bar’s servers stopped by to place another glass in front of him. “It’s from that group,” he said, pointing towards a table where several of Iruka’s former students watched intently. Iruka raised the new glass to them, nodding his thanks as he took a sip. He wondered if this was their first promotion party.

The night continued like that. Some people dropped by to congratulate him. Some brought glasses of beer to leave for him, occasionally accompanied by a proposition. Others had the beer delivered by the staff. Iruka couldn’t remember when he’d last laughed this much.

About an hour after they’d arrived, Kakashi took up his preferred seat at the end of the bar. Iruka caught Kakashi’s eye, and they nodded at each other before Iruka turned back to his drinking companions.

“Is it me,” Anko drawled, “or is Kakashi spending a lot of time staring at our Iruka?”

Genma laughed and shook his head at the comment before waving for another round of snacks.

When the bartender rang the last call, another staff member put a glass of beer on the table for Iruka, nodding to the end of the bar.

Iruka looked over to see Kakashi staring at him again. Or maybe still.

“Wow,” Anko whispered. “Does anybody remember the last time Kakashi bought someone a drink at one of these things?”

Iruka ignored the hushed gossip as he smiled his thanks at Kakashi and raised the glass to his lips. Kakashi kept watching him with more intensity than was warranted for a simple congratulations drink.

Maybe, Iruka thought, letting his smile grow sly, he wasn’t quite ready to call it a night.

**Who makes the first move?**

**[A. Kakashi.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28064496/chapters/68800785#workskin) or [B. Iruka.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28064496/chapters/68800953#workskin)**

Don't like where this is going? [Start over.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28064496/chapters/68755050#workskin) or [Go back to the previous choice.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28064496/chapters/68755416#workskin)


	12. 5C - Mission

Iruka was ready to excuse himself and get drunk with his friends for his accomplishment, as his lover was out on a mission. However, before that could happen, Tsunade cleared her throat to regain his attention. 

“With the test out of the way, we have your first mission ready for you, unfortunately.”

Iruka couldn’t help but feel dread begin to pool in his stomach at the severe face Tsunade adopted with that statement. 

“One of our jounin suffered a seal’s specialist attack during his mission and his life is in danger. We’re aware that the setting and parameters of this mission aren’t what you were thinking when you applied for tokubetsu jounin, but Konoha doesn’t have another seal expert at the ready. 

“Your mission is to deactivate the seal that left our jounin unconscious and return him to active service. Follow me.” 

It wasn’t very hard to figure out they were going to Konoha’s hospital, but Iruka still hoped the situation wasn’t as dire as what Tsunade was implying. Even then, if they had called him on this mission as soon as his test was over, Iruka knew he couldn’t delude himself with false hope. He didn't want to guess now if he had passed only so he could take this mission. He decided not to dwell on it as disheartening as the thought was. 

The short walk from the arena to the hospital passed in sepulchral silence and was over faster than Iruka expected. Shinobis had to be alert at all moments but he couldn’t find it in himself to be too aware of his surroundings with his instincts screaming at him. 

The party consisting of Tsunade, Inoichi, and Iruka didn’t pause at the reception desk and went by until they arrived at the restricted wing. Outside the door to the room with the unconscious jounin, Tsunade put a warm hand on his shoulder and Inoichi gave him a pitying look that left Iruka dreading that moment even more and with the sensation that he knew what he would encounter on the other side. Still, nothing could have prepared him to confront the reality of the problem: his lover was on death’s doorstep because of a seal placed upon him and only Iruka could save him or die trying. 

Once inside the room, Iruka tried his best to maintain his composure, but couldn’t help but feel his eyes filling with tears he refused to let loose. 

“Tsunade-sama, how did this happen?”

“Report, shinobi,” at Tsunade’s words, Iruka noticed the ANBU hidden in the shadows cast by the door. 

“Kakashi-senpai and I were returning from a mission on the Land of Water when a group of missing-nins attacked us. They wore the hitai-ate from the Land of Waves and we disposed of them quickly. However, one of them hit Kakashi-senpai with a seal in his abdomen and he passed out immediately. If I hadn't been with him, he wouldn’t have come back from the mission.”

“Iruka-sensei, from what we could observe about his condition, Kakashi’s chakra pathways are losing their functionality and their flow is being blocked. He lost consciousness from the shock the seal caused him,” explained Tsunade with a clinical tone. 

“I need to see this seal,” Iruka heard himself saying like his voice was coming from another person.

At this, Tsunade uncovered Kakashi and Iruka took out the last blank scroll he had on him from his pouch to copy the seal. 

****

After the brief visit to the hospital, Iruka didn’t know how to feel. He was shocked that Kakashi could be taken out by some nin and desperate because he was his only chance to recuperate. But Iruka was a shinobi too and he could leave all his despairing feelings on the backburner of his mind to work towards his mission objective: return Kakashi, the love of his life, to active duty and to their normal life. 

The first stop, as Tsunade had foreshadowed in the form of a permit to the restricted area of the archives, was the library. There, Iruka sat at one of the more secluded tables and really looked at the seal for the first time. At first sight, the seal was a complex matrix with two components, one for the target’s chakra system and the more commonly used as a stop, likely to interrupt the chakra flow. The tricky part would be to disentangle the seal from the locked target and that's where his investigation had to start. To that end, the Uzushiogakure scrolls left by the Uzumaki’s were his best bet. After poring over the archive’s titles on that section, Iruka left the library to read everything he could in a more familiar environment and where he wouldn’t be disturbed: their apartment.

Iruka arrived at the house he shared with Kakashi at dawn after spending hours looking through tons of scrolls and passing his test to tokubetsu jounin. He was exhausted beyond measure, but just seeing Kakashi’s copy of _Icha Icha_ laying on the coffee table made him want to double down crying. The only way to stop that paralyzing grief from taking hold of him was to start researching immediately. 

Hours passed by without Iruka noticing the clock ticking away. The only things he could use to mark how much time had passed since his test was the number of times he turned on and off the lights in the living room, but he had lost track of even that. Maybe he did it once or twice, maybe more. 

Iruka was lost in the middle of his reading when he felt a really familiar chakra signature at the door. His surprise lasted just a second as he understood that one of Kakashi’s ninken stayed in this plane. Pakkun entered the home as soon as Iruka opened the door.

“Yo, boss’ boss.”

“Hi, Pakkun.”

Pakkun kept quiet as he studied Iruka and the mountain of scrolls littered among the living room. He didn’t need to say much to show how unimpressed he was at the state Iruka was—after all, he hadn’t taken a shower since the morning of his test.

“It’s been three days since the boss was brought back to the village,” Pakkun said, like reading Iruka’s mind. But all Iruka could think of that statement was how much time the research was taking and how the sooner Kakashi woke up, the better not only for the village but for himself. 

“How long since you ate, boss?” 

“I’ll eat when I figure this out.” 

“The boss would kill me if I let you get yourself killed, so in the best interest of both of us, you better eat something.” 

Iruka had to admit Pakkun was right on that account; he had to take care of himself some more if he wanted to help Kakashi. After all, he was so hungry he was starting to lose focus on what he was reading. 

Iruka tore out a page of Naruto’s book and ended up eating instant ramen, but after that, he could read faster and kept a steady rhythm while Pakkun watched over them both. Pakkun was just as worried for Kakashi as Iruka was, he just knew how to handle it better. 

Another hour had passed when Iruka made a breakthrough. One of the scrolls detailed the seal that bound Kakashi, but it said that the only way to remove it was to transfer it to someone else and that someone else had to be the caster of the new seal. 

After that jarring revelation, Iruka was frustrated beyond belief. He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at the cruel twist. He would gladly do it for Kakashi, but what would Kakashi think of that? Could Iruka do that to Kakashi knowing how much he would suffer? How he would blame himself? There must be another way and Iruka was determined to find it and do it fast.

After such an impasse in his research, Iruka needed to get out of the apartment. Going back to the archives looking for another approach was a good idea. Gathering the notes spread on the coffee table, Iruka grabbed his satchel when one piece of paper caught his eyes.

_I’m sure you’ll do great._

_May the soles of your feet be firm._

The note ended with the familiar henohenomoeji and Iruka gave a heartbroken sob and like a damaged dam with the floodgates loose, the tears came out of his eyes in an abrupt rush. With the note crumpled in his fist and Pakkun sitting on his tight, Iruka couldn’t hold it together anymore and let himself let go, just for a moment. 

After the tears ran their course, Iruka blew his nose and composed himself. He was ready to tackle the problem all over again when someone teleported into his living room.

Iruka was ready to face them with a vicious seal and a kunai in his right hand when the figure revealed itself as the ANBU that he met at the hospital, the shinobi that was in the mission with Kakashi when he was struck. 

“Iruka-sensei, there’s no time left. Kakashi-senpai went into cardiac arrest. They were capable of reanimating him, but he’ll have an organ failure at any moment. His chakra system is collapsing. Please, tell me you have a way to deactivate the seal.”

That was something Iruka had been dreading: how much time could Kakashi hold up with his chakra blocked and how fast would it spread? Well, he had his academic question answered, but that wasn’t good news at all. Now Iruka had to make a choice and Kakashi would have to live with it because Iruka was not going to let him die without fighting. 

“I’ll grab my tools and be right there. The only thing that I ask is for Tsunade-sama to be present in case something goes wrong,” replied Iruka distractedly, looking in his notes for the scroll with the seal detailed. 

“I’ll tell the Godaime,” and with that, the ANBU transported himself away. 

Iruka tried to decide if leaving a note for Naruto and Kakashi would be the best way of saying goodbye, but in the end, he didn’t know or have the time to think of a way to pour his love on paper. He left the apartment in a daze, just thinking of the two most important people in his life and how they would take his sacrifice. Iruka hoped Kakashi wouldn’t blame himself too much and that Naruto could help him along the way. Together they could move past his death and be happy eventually. 

Without knowing how, Iruka found himself in Konoha’s hospital and was being shown the way to Kakashi’s room by another ANBU. 

As soon as Iruka saw Kakashi he noted how sickly pale the jounin was and how he seemed to have trouble breathing. Kakashi was connected to so many machines that Iruka was afraid to disturb him, but didn’t have much time to think about it as Tsunade arrived just as he was settling himself to work. 

To transfer the seal Iruka needed to draw the same thing on himself and link both seals through direct contact. The easiest way to accomplish that was to put his hand, where he would draw the new one, on that fucking seal on Kakashi’s abdomen and infuse chakra into it. It didn’t take long and in these final moments, Iruka found himself safe in the knowledge that he was saving the love of his life and fulfilling his duty to the village in one last caress.

Tsunade was unusually silent through the process, and Iruka couldn’t help but make a final request.

“Tsunade-sama, please tell Kakashi and Naruto that I love them so much.”

At the alarmed face Tsunade made, Iruka decided to act quickly and infuse his chakra on the seals. As soon as they activated a searing pain pierced his hand and blackness entered the edges of his consciousness. The last things he could understand were Tsunade’s yell for help and a pair of firm hands lowering him to the ground. 

***

Iruka woke up feeling like he was underwater. Regaining his ability to draw breath was painful and in one agonizing second, he was afraid that his lungs couldn’t make it. 

The first thing Iruka could see was the white ceiling of his hospital room and everything came rushing back to him like a tidal wave. He was so very glad to be alive but very confused. Had he failed to save Kakashi?

Then he felt it, someone holding his hand, and when he saw Kakashi sitting in one of the horribly uncomfortable hospital chairs with a slouch and bags under his eyes, he couldn’t stop the tears from escaping.

“I’m glad you’re awake, love. You scared the shit out of everyone,” said the jounin with a tired voice.

“How is this… what happened… how?” Iruka's scrambled mind wasn’t helping his ability to come up with the proper questions he wanted to be answered. Luckily Kakashi knew what he meant.

“Your little stunt with the seal worked out; I woke up from the coma when you transferred the seal. However, Tsunade was able to save you before the seal could take over completely—not without consequences as you probably noted.”

Kakashi was right, Iruka had already noticed he couldn’t move his left hand, the one where he had placed the seal. 

“We still don’t know how your hand will heal, but you’ll regain mobility soon or that's Tsunade's estimation. Do you know how lucky we are that the best medic-nin was in the same room with you?”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t have time to look for another answer, you were dying,” said Iruka with all the heartbreak he had to contain for those terrible days. 

“I’m so glad you’re OK, love. Please, don’t do this to me ever again.”

“Come here,” Iruka made space in the small hospital bed for Kakashi and the jounin climbed without words to hold Iruka for all his worth.

Iruka understood exactly how lucky they were and even if he couldn’t promise Kakashi that something like this wouldn't happen again because Iruka would risk his life any day for him, they could both forget about it as long as they were able to hold each other. 

**You've reached the end of this path!**

**If you'd like to try another, you can[start over from the beginning](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28064496/chapters/68755050#workskin) or [go back to the previous choice](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28064496/chapters/68755416#workskin).**

[See all the options.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28064496/chapters/68801154#workskin)


	13. 6A - Kakashi

Iruka drank nearly half the beer Kakashi had sent him in one long swig. He didn’t mind the obvious attention Kakashi was giving him—the man was attractive and powerful to boot—but he did wonder why; he wondered if it was the same reason everyone else in this damn bar decided to notice him tonight.

He sighed, peeling the napkin off the bottom of the glass where it had stuck to the condensation. To his surprise, he found something written on it in black ink, framed by a damp circle from the glass. It was a little smudged, but still legible, which was a feat in itself considering Kakashi’s handwriting wasn’t great to begin with. Iruka would know, having spent years deciphering it. Some of the other desk workers referred to Iruka as the _Kakashi Key_ —they came to him for clarification when graced with one of the jounin’s messy reports.

The note left on the napkin read: _meet me on the roof_ in shinobi shorthand. Iruka smirked, glancing up and over at the bar, only to find Kakashi’s seat vacant.

Without much contemplation, he shoved the napkin into his pocket.

“I’ll be back,” Iruka said, bracing a hand on Anko’s shoulder as he stood up, bringing his beer with him.

He finished it by the time he reached the front, dropping the empty glass on the wood bar before heading outside. He turned down the alley separating the bar from a bento shop, placed a foot onto the side of the building, and started walking his way up. The swift perspective change made his head swim—perhaps he’d drank that fourth beer a little too fast.

When he reached the roof, he found Kakashi standing there with his hands in his pockets.

“I didn’t think you’d come,” he said in lieu of a greeting.

“What can I say,” Iruka shrugged. “I’m curious by nature.”

He waited for Kakashi to speak again; he was the one who had asked him to come up here. They were far from strangers to each other but if Iruka had to describe it, he’d say they straddled the line between aquantinences and friends. Outside of the mission room, they only saw each other when brought together by Naruto, which when he was in town, could be quite often. Sometimes the three of them would spend several nights a week at Ichiraku’s, occupying the same stools every time.

Iruka had always enjoyed Kakashi’s company, but never allowed himself to give it more thought than that, even if he wanted to. He knew when someone was emotionally unavailable, and was smart enough to steer clear, so what Kakashi wanted from him now, Iruka wasn’t sure.

~

Iruka was staring at him. Kakashi stared right back until he realized he should probably say something.

“Right. Well… congratulations. On your promotion.”

“Oh. Um, thank you,” Iruka said with a laugh, wrinkling his nose cutely. “Is that why you asked me up here?”

“Ah, no,” Kakashi replied, shifting his stance. “I mean yes. I-I wanted to tell you that, but no. That’s not the reason.”

Kakashi hesitated, and the faint clatter of cups and conversation from the bar below filled up the silence.

“Do you... maybe want to tell me what that reason is?”

Kakashi glanced at him, nerves fluttering around in his gut. Iruka had always been a straightforward type of person. So much so, that Kakashi figured Iruka would have made a move already if he was actually interested, which made his own confidence waver. But… he’d already put this plan in motion, so he’d see it through just like any other mission.

He took a deep breath.

“I wanted to ask you out,” Kakashi said, a matter of fact. “On a date.”

Iruka blinked at him.

“...Why?”

Kakashi’s mouth fell open, thrown by the question; he was expecting a yes or a no—more of a no, if he was being honest. 

What did Iruka mean, _why?_ For what other reason would he ask someone out?

“Um, I like you?” Kakashi confessed awkwardly, rubbing at the back of his neck. “You’re very attractive. I-I’m attracted to you. A lot. Not just physically!” he added hastily, afraid he was sounding shallow. “Though I am physically attracted to you, if that wasn’t implied… _agh.”_

Kakashi glanced at the sky in embarrassment as Iruka’s laughter filled the air. 

“Are you sure it’s not because I'm suddenly ~interesting~?” Iruka asked, crossing his arms over his chest, his hip cocked to the side. 

Kakashi tilted his head like a dog, the confusion back.

“You’ve always been interesting.”

His answer came quick and natural, laced with nothing but honesty. He watched as Iruka’s face softened, his eyes wide for a moment, before he furrowed his brow again.

“But why now?” Iruka insisted. “Why ask me out now? Right after I’ve made tokubetsu jounin? When we’ve known each other for years?”

_Oh._

Kakashi paused, the realization dawning on him. He didn’t blame Iruka for being suspicious of his intentions; he’d heard the way people said ‘the _chuunin_ sensei’ or ‘the _chuunin_ desk worker’ like it was some kind of insult. It always pissed him off.

Kakashi stared at his feet for a moment before lifting his head again, leveling Iruka with a serious stare. “Because I didn't think I’d live past 21. Because it took me an obscenely long time to become a barely functioning adult. Because I never had the guts before… I-I still don’t, not really, if you can’t tell by how much I’m fumbling around here,” he said with a nervous laugh.

“It has nothing to do with your new rank,” he assured him. “Well actually, it does…” he amended. “...but only because several people were eying you in the bar and I didn’t want to lose my chance, if I even had one to begin with. I guess this is me trying to figure what my chances are. With you, I mean.”

“I know what you mean, Kakashi,” Iruka said gently.

Kakashi nodded, rocking back on his heels, blowing out an audible breath.

“...I’ve never asked anyone out before.”

“I never would have guessed,” Iruka teased, stepping towards him. There was a playful look in his eyes that made Kakashi’s skin tingle. “Can I kiss you?”

Kakashi was thrown off guard for the second time tonight, the high of his cheekbone coloring with a blush. He cleared his throat.

“Yes.”

Iruka took another step forward; Kakashi tracked the movement, his body burning hot with anticipation.

“Mask or no mask?”

If it were anyone else, Kakashi would have scoffed at the audacity. 

“Mask,” he answered quickly, only because the other option made him slightly panic. He went from thinking Iruka would crumple up his napkin invitation, to Iruka asking to _kiss_ him. This was going a lot better than he ever could have imagined.

Iruka took the final step forward, and Kakashi licked his lips beneath the fabric, swallowing thickly, as Iruka reached out to cup the side of his face with his hand.

The kiss was warm and firm. Kakashi parted his lips on instinct, searching for more, cursing the barrier.

“I’ve changed my mind,” Kakashi said when they parted. “No mask.”

Iruka raised an eyebrow in interest.

“Right here?” he asked, looking around.

It was night, and dark on the roof away from the street lamps, but that was hardly a hindrance on visibility for a village of shinobi.

Kakashi bit his lip in thought.

“...I can shushin us somewhere more private?”

“How romantic,” Iruka teased with a smile, as he hooked his hands into the front pockets of Kakashi’s vest, tugging them closer together.

“Ready when you are,” Iruka flirted, his voice low, his eyes boring into Kakashi with an intensity that made him sweat.

Kakashi formed the hand seals in the minimal space between them, his heart pounding hard in his chest.

When the space around them materialized again, he watched as Iruka took a moment to observe their surroundings.

“Where are we?” Iruka asked. “I don’t recognize this place.”

Kakashi didn’t expect him to. No one had been here since his father died; no one had been allowed to. 

“The main garden in the Hatake compound. I thought my apartment would seem too forward, and the buildings here I’m sure are in need of a good dusting so…” He shrugged. “I’ve always liked this garden. I’ve tended to it all these years. I think it’s kept me from losing my mind, actually.”

Iruka looked at him curiously.

“Let me get this straight. You thought taking me to your jounin barracks apartment... would be more intimate than taking me to your hundreds of years old, heavily protected, extremely exclusive family compound?”

“...Yes?”

Iruka placed his hands on his knees, bending over with a laugh.

“You know, I made many assumptions about you over the years, Kakashi, but adorable wasn’t one of them.”

Kakashi felt his whole body flush with delight.

“I’m glad you trust me enough to bring me here,” Iruka said, touching a large, sleek oval leaf that reflected the moonlight. “It is rather beautiful. I’m happy you’ve managed to find peace somewhere. God knows you deserve it. ”

Iruka looked at him tenderly, reminding Kakashi of why they’d come here to begin with.

He reached up and pulled down his mask, baring his face to the only living person outside of Tsunade. 

“It’s been a long time since I’ve kissed someone,” Kakashi admitted. “The brief encounters I have never include that…” he said, plucking at the mask against his neck in indication.

It’s not that he particularly cared about people seeing his face. He did when he was young, but he grew out of it. Unfortunately by the time he was older, it had become advantageous, and he was advised (ordered) to keep his identity hidden. So he did, like the good shinobi he was.

For Iruka though, he was willing to break the rules.

“Well,” Iruka drawled, stalking slowly towards him. “I consider myself something of an expert. And if the rumors are true,” —he fisted Kakashi’s vest in his hand— “I’ve heard you’re an _incredibly_ fast learner.”

Kakashi’s breath hitched, his eyes darting to Iruka’s mouth, suddenly hungry. He had always found Iruka sexy, but he’d never been subject to his flirting before. It made his body thrum on high.

“Cute,” Iruka smirked, tapping a finger to Kakashi’s beauty mark. He moved his fingers to trace Kakashi’s lips, and though the touch was feather light, it felt _electric_ , opening up a well of want inside him.

Kakashi leaned in first, bringing their mouths together, and _shit,_ Iruka wasn’t joking. The man knew how to kiss. Kakashi followed along diligently, bringing a hand to cup the back of Iruka’s head, curling his gloved fingers into his dark hair. He didn’t think it could get any better, but then Iruka slipped in his tongue and Kakashi damn near lost his mind—a spark ignited at the base of his spine and crackled all the way up to his skull.

They parted for air, both clutching at each other’s faces.

Kakashi pushed a stray hair behind Iruka’s ear.

“How would you grade me, sensei?” he purred, a grin on his face as he nipped at Iruka’s bottom lip.

“B+” —Kakashi’s mouth dropped open in offense—-“Because you stopped too soon and I want more tongue.”

Kakashi laughed and kissed him again, more than happy to oblige.

**You've reached the end of this path!**

**If you'd like to try another, you can[start over from the beginning](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28064496/chapters/68755050#workskin) or [go back to the previous choice](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28064496/chapters/68799696#workskin).**

[See all the options.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28064496/chapters/68801154#workskin)


	14. 6B - Iruka

_Go big, or go home._

The thought blazed through his mind. Iruka finished his drink in one go. He had a slight buzz going, not enough to cloud his judgement, but enough to make him a little more reckless. He had paced himself pretty well tonight. Still, the liquid courage, plus the high he was riding at his success--it meant that Iruka was seriously thinking about doing something unexpected.

Mostly, he was going to talk with Kakashi, and maybe, see what was under the mask.

"I'm going over there, " Iruka said. Genma choked on his mouthful of salty peanuts, while Anko cheered. Across the room, Kakashi seemed to be smiling. Iruka didn't doubt that Kakashi had read his lips, and was not unwilling.

Good.

Iruka pushed himself to his feet, feeling very confident. He ignored the wolf-whistle from Anko, and the sudden whispers that followed him as he moved toward the bar. Kakashi watched him approach with a half-lidded eye.

He didn't say anything, even as Iruka took a seat next to him. The bartender smoothly set a tall glass of water and a fresh beer in front of him. Iruka took the water first. He was suddenly thirsty.

"So," Iruka said, after he put down the glass. He could have kicked himself for the weak opening, but he continued: "I passed."

Kakashi watched him, amused. "So I heard. Congratulations, Iruka."

Iruka licked his lips. “I actually thought I didn’t. There were so many things I could have done better.”

“Obviously, your mistakes were few, if you were able to pass,” Kakashi said; “That or they weren’t truly mistakes. Just areas of improvement.

“Don’t think about it too much. You’re strong, Iruka. You’ve earned your promotion.”

Iruka laughed and rubbed the edges of his scar. “I supposed.” He forced himself not to blush. He knew he failed because he heard Kakashi laugh.

Kakashi looked at him, his visible eye curling up. “No really. I knew you could do it, Iruka.”

Iruka ducked his head, feeling his face flush some more. He peeked up at Kakashi and watched as the other man peeled back his mask just enough to expose his mouth to take a drink. It only took seconds for Kakashi to take a drink and then pull his mask back up, but those seconds were enough to steal Iruka’s breath.

Right, he was here for a reason. A reason that had lingered far too long.

“Can I get you a drink?” Iruka suddenly blurted out.

Kakashi stared at him and then at his full glass. Kakashi had only been nursing his drink. Most of his attention had been on Iruka, rather than his beer. 

Iruka didn’t wait for him to answer, because it was honestly a stupid question. “I mean to say, I have a bottle of Ryusen at my place. Do you want to maybe go back to my place…?”

The bar was already closing, the last call had already been given. Iruka knew there was something here, so his question wasn’t so presumptuous. 

Kakashi must have agreed because he pushed his glass away. “Ryusen? They only make ten bottles every five years. How did you get your hands on a bottle? ” He stood up. 

Iruka smirked, feeling very smug. He stood up, too. “Oh, I know people.”

Kakashi laughed and followed Iruka out of the bar. Iruka knew that the others were watching him and Kakashi. That more than one of them were thinking of following them, just to see where they would go. Iruka didn’t care if they saw them going back to his place. It had always been his greatest wish to rise above Chunin, to become Tokubetsu Jounin. Today, he made that wish come true.

_So really,_ Iruka thought, as he and Kakashi fell in step together. He tilted his head up to look up at the stars. He spotted a shooting star dart across the night sky. Iruka smiled secretly, especially when he felt Kakashi’s hand brush against his own. _Why not make another wish come true?_

**You've reached the end of this path!**

**If you'd like to try another, you can[start over from the beginning](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28064496/chapters/68755050#workskin) or [go back to the previous choice](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28064496/chapters/68799696#workskin).**

[See all the options.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28064496/chapters/68801154#workskin)


	15. Fic Map and Notes

Here's a fic map of all the story paths. You can use the Chapter Index button or go to the [Full-page Index](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28064496/navigate) to jump to any choice you want.

  


And here's the fic banner drawn by anniemaar.

  


**Author's Note:**

>  **flailinginlove** : I've wanted to do a KakaIru choose your own adventure fic for a long time now, but I never got around to it. With 2020 being one hell of a year, I also really wanted to do some kind of present for the KakaIru fandom as a whole. Something a little different that would hopefully be fun to read. So I thought it might be interesting to get a group of writers together and give a CYOA fic a try, with everyone writing a different part/ending to the fic. These six lovely people agreed to help me write this crazy little project, and Annie was kind enough to make an awesome banner for us. I'd like to thank them all for making this happen! It was a fun experience and I could not have done it without them. And thank you for reading! I hope you liked it! Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! ♥
> 
>  **ladyxdaydream** : I’m so happy this is finally up and posted for you all to enjoy! We’ve been working hard for months, and for me, it’s been hard to keep it a secret ;D. I had so much fun working on this project, and I’m honored to have written alongside some of my favorite creators in the kkir fandom. Thank you to flailinginlove for spearheading this & for the amazing idea--I’ve always wanted to see Iruka test for tokujo! And thank you to all of my fellow collaborators--it turned out amazing! I’m so proud. 
> 
> **myka1231** : I want to thank flailinginlove for inviting me to this project and I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed being a part of the “Kakairu choose your own adventure” venture. Happy holidays!!!
> 
>  **Hexadecimalrebooted** : A big thank you to flailinginlove for choosing to take on this challenge and for inviting me to write in it. Also thank you, Gloomier for beta reading for me. This was a lot of fun to be involved in.


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